The Day of Arafah -Arafat-, which is the ninth day of Dhul Hijjah is the day when our religion was completed by Allah. As He Said: “Today I have perfected for you your religion and completed upon you My blessing, and I have chosen for you Islam as (your) religion.”[Quran, 5:3]
On Arafat day pilgrims gather at the mountain plain of Arafah, praying and supplicating to their Lord. In fact, one hadith says that ‘Hajj is Arafah’ (Abu Dawud). This means Arafat is the sum and substance of Hajj.
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When is Arafat Day?
It falls on the ninth day of Dhul Hijjah. Which is expected to be on 8 July 2022, although this is subject to the sighting of the moon.
What do Hajj pilgrims do on the Day of ’Arafah?
On Arafah Day, pilgrims travel to the plains of ’Arafat, where they will combine their Dhuhr and Asr prayers and then spend the entire day making Dua. They will stand until sunset facing the Qiblah and seeking forgiveness for their sins.
It is the most important ritual of the Hajj, without which the Hajj would be incomplete. The Prophet (saw) said, ’Hajj is ‘Arafah’. (Abu Dawud)
Without observing it in its proper place and time, there is no Hajj. This means that all other aspects of Hajj have some lawful way to make up for missing or modifying them or factors that may excuse one from them.
The pilgrims will depart from Arafat at sunset and travel to Muzdalifah, where they will pray Maghrib and Isha and sleep beneath the night sky, without tents or any shelter, all of them absolutely equal to each other.
How to Gain the benefits of Arafat day?
Fast
The Day of Arafah fasting is highly encouraged and recommended for those not going on Hajj.
Related:
The Prophet (saw) said, ’It (fasting on the Day of ‘Arafah) expiates the sins of the past year and the coming year (i.e. those sins will be forgiven)’. [Muslim]
The pilgrims at Hajj do not generally fast as the most important worship on this day are their prayers, the remembrance of Allah (SWT), and begging for His forgiveness.
Repeat Dua of Arafah
Lā ilāha illallāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahu ‘l-mulku walahu ‘l-ḥamd, wa huwa `alā kulli shay’in qadīr.
لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له ، له الملك ، وله الحمد ، وهو على كل شيء قدير
None has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, Who has no partner. His is the dominion and He is the praise and He is Able to do all things.
The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said of the Day of Arafah dua:
“The most excellent dua is the dua on the Day of Arafah, and the best of what I and the prophets before me have said, is “There is nothing that deserves to be worshiped in truth except Allah, He is Alone and has no partner, to Him belongs the dominion and to Him belongs all praise, and He is All-Powerful over all things.'” [Tarmidhi]
Make your Dua
The Messenger of Allah (saw) said of the Day of ’Arafah, ‘In it, there is an hour in which no believing worshipper makes a supplication to Allah for good, except that Allah answers it for him, and he does not seek Allah’s protection from evil, except that He protects him from it’. [Tirmidhi]
Make dhikr
The Prophet (SAW) said: “There are no days that are greater before Allah (SWT) or in which good deeds are more beloved to Him than these 10 days, so recite a great deal of Tahleel, Takbeer, and Tahmeed.” [Ahmad]
- Tahleel: Laa ilaha ill-Allah – There is no God but Allah (SWT)
- Takbeer: Allahu Akbar – Allah (SWT) is the Greatest
- Tahmeed: Alhamdulillah – All Praises be to Allah (SWT)
- Tasbeeh: Subhanallah – Glory be to Allah (SWT)
Seek forgiveness
’Arafah is a day of immense forgiveness when Allah sets many people free from the Fire.
Even if you are not standing on the Plains of ’Arafat, you can still seek Allah’s forgiveness from your own home or local masjid.
The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “On this day, Allah, the Most Exalted, descends to the nearest heaven, and He is proud of His servants on the earth and says to those in heavens, look at My servants, they have come from far and near, with hair disheveled and faces covered with dust, to seek my Mercy. Even if their sins are as much the sand or the froth of the sea, I shall forgive them.”
